Curved-stereotype-plate-finishing machine



May 26, 19 2s.

- I 1,539,566 C. E. HOPKINS CURVED STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHI NE Original Filed Feb. 15, 1915 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wwmtoz CAGZ'ZG SEHbPItiF:

May 26, 1925. 1,539,566

c. E. HOPKINS 4 CURVED STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 15, 17915 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 26, 1925. 4 1,539,566

C. E. HOPKINS CURVED SZFEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. '15, 1915 s Sheets-Sheet 3 gnoenloz J02 ClzavZesEHopk iii Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. HOPKINS, O-F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY; THE PLAINFIEIlD TRUST COM- PANY ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID CHAR-LES E. HOPKINS, DECEASED.

CURVEDSTEREOTYPE-PLATE-FINISHING IVIACHINE.

Original application filed February 15, 1913, Serial No. 748,692. Divided and this application filed September 9, 1918, Serial No. 253,301.

To all whom. 2'2, may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Curved-Stereotype-Plate-Finishing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This is a division of my Patent No. 1,- 284,193 on a curved stereotype'plat'e making machine, dated Nov. 5, 1918, originally filed i ebruary 15, 1913, Serial No. 7%,692.

This invention can be embodied in a finishing mechanism comprising the usual plate supporting arch, and shaving knife rotatable within and beneath the said arch. The principal objects ofthe invention are to provide a simple form of mechanism for operating the finishing device for simultaneously and auton'iatically clamping the plate in the arch and starting the machine, and for automatically stopping it in convenient posi tion when the finishing operations are com pleted. I also have a circular saw or cutter carried by the knife shaft for separating the riser port-ion from the type face portion of the stereotype plate. I also provide a trimmer or beveling tool for beveling the curved edge of the type face portion after the riser has been separated therefrom by the saw. The different tools and devices are connected so as to be operated from one source of power;

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the machine with the near side frame removed for the purpose of better illustrating same, and showing at one end a supporting frame for a casting device, not shown;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front end view with the plate clamped in the arch, a part of the worm driving gear having been broken away to better illustrate the finishing device; v

Fig. 4 is a front end view showing the plate in position ready to be clamped up in the arch and parts of the mechanism omitted;

Fig. 5 is a rear view w'th the plate'lowered in the arch; and

Renewed September 27, 1924.

F 6 is a front View of the finishing arch and coactingplate lock, shaving knife, tail cutting saw, and beveling tool.

This finishing device is designed to cooperate with a casting mechanism, not shown, but located at the front end of the finishing mechanism. The casting chamber may be formed by thejusual concave segmental back and co-acting convex core and other elements necessary. T be complete casting mechanism comprises,- besides the parts necessary to make up the casting chamber, a supporting frame 459 located at one side. The top. edges of the frames 49 act as a plate support or guide over which theplate can be moved to the finishing arch when freed from the casting or mold members. These plate supports are located in alignment' with like supports 77, 79 inv the finishing mechanism.

The plate supporting arch 50 is held in position by side frames 51. The shaving knife shaft 52 operates inv bearings formed in cross frames 53 and'54. The knife shaft is provided with the usual adjustable shaving knife 55 which is arranged so that when a'stereotype plate is positioned against the dome of the arch the knife. will revolve axially within the concavity of the: plate and smooth off the ribs. formed on the face of said concavity, thereby making each cast of a uniform thickness.

For the purpose of simplifying the construction, I have arranged a tail cutting saw to travel with the knife shaft. The saw is mounted on one end ofa shaft 57, operating in bearings 58 formed on the knife shaft;

mounted on the opposite end of this shaft 57 is a gear 59 which meshes with a gear 60 loose on the knife shaft. Fast to this gear (30' is a chain sprocket 61 which is driven by a larger sprocket 62 fast on a shaft 63, one end of which shaft is provided with a bevel gear 64 which meshes with a larger beveled gear 65 fast on the driving shaft 66. By this mechanism the saw is kept in constant rotation whenthe drivingshaft is in motion. For the purpose of supplying a driving connection from any source of power there is provided a driving pulley 102 attached to one end of the driving shaft (36.

The shaving knife 55, as is usually the case in combination shaving and trimming machines, extends only the length of the finished plate P. The saw 56 as shown simply cuts a groove through and around the circumference of the plate, thereby separating what is called the riser portion from the type face. I

For the purpose of attaching these semicylindrical shells or plates to the cylinders of the printing'presses, it is necessary to form the curved ends with a bevel. In this case the bottom: bevel is formed in casting but I have provided a beveling tool 100 which I attach to one end of the knife shaft extension whichcarries the knife 55-. This beveling tool is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6. In the latter View the tool is shown as in operation. 1

The driving mechanism as shown in Fig. 5 comprises the driving shaft 66 which operates in bearings 67 and 68 formed in the rear cross frame, and upon which is mounted the bevelgear 65 for driving the tail cutting saw mechanism. Mounted loose on the driving shaft 66 is a worm 69 which at all times meshes with a worm gear 70 fast on that end of the knife shaft 52. One end of the worm 69 is formed with clutch jaws which engage or disengage a sliding jaw 71, slidingly keyed on the driving shaft 66. I

The sliding clutch jaw 71 is formed with roove in which operates an anti-friction oller 72 mounted on an upright arm 73 fast on one end of a rock shaftt74. Also 'fast on the rock shaft 74 are two upright arms 7 5'7 5 which engage beneath arms 76 formed on the roadway 7 7 the end of each of the said arms 76 being pivoted to the end faces of the arch by studs 7 87 8 (see Fig. 1). As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the opposite side of the arch 50 is provided with a fixed roadway or support 79.

It will be seen bythe above that the act of throwing in the clutch also forces the stereotype plate up into position against the dome of the arch,

The particular mechanism employed for throwing in the clutch, as well as positioning the stereotype up into the dome of the arch, is'exceedingly simple and comprises a horizontal arm 81 pivoted to the top of the upright arm 73; the opposite end of the. arm is located in the path of a pin 82 fast in the adjacent face of the worm gear 7 wheel 70. :This horizontal pivoted arm 81 is provided with an arm 83 extending at an angle upward; the upper end of this arm 83 engages a trip pawl 84 fast on a shaft 85 extending lengthwise of the finishing mechanism, and provided at. the op- Eositeend with an operating handle 85.

y this mechanism the pin 82 on the worm gear 70 pushes the clutch members out of engagement after each revolution of the knife shaft, holding same in that position until another stereotype plate has been properly positioned on the supports beneath the of this spring 86 is to advance the clutch jaw into engagement as well as elevate the plate lifter. For the purpose of positioning the stereotype plate lengthwise of 'the arch a stop 101 is fixed to-the rearface of the arch.

The square end of the spring 86 engages until it comes solidly against the fixed stop 101. The plate is now in with the finishing tools.

The operator now gives the starting or position or aligned trip handle a slight turn'to the left in Fig. 5 which causes the cam trip pawl 84 .to engage against the side of the arm 83,

pushing it in. This action causes the coacting trip arm 81 toj pivot down and disengage its free end from the worm wheel pin 82. The forcing of the rock arm 81 from the engaging pin 82 allows the coil spring 86 to expand, thereby forcing the free end of the vertical rock lever 73 to rock inward. As this rock lever 73 is fastened on the shaft 74, the action of the spring causes the lever 75 to rock the plate lifter 77, thereby elevating and locking the cast plateup' inthe arch and in position to be operated upon by the finishing too]. Of course as the operator has turned the starting handle one complete turn in order 'to restore it to normal position, the pawl 84 allows the rock arm 83 to swing outward. This operation is aided by the spring 86.

The finishing begins by the revolving saw 56, separating the riser portion fromthe When the shaving knife completes its operation the worm wheelpin 82 comes into engagement within the recess formed on the end of the rocklever arm 81. -This engagement causes the lever arm 81 to be forced back against the action of the coil spring 86, and the clutch jaw 71 to be forced out of engagement with its co-aeting jaw, formed on the worm 69. In this position the finishing tools have completed their cycle of motion. The plate lifter locking arms 76 are forced out of engagement with the plate lifter 77. This allows the plate lifter to swing down and release the now finished plate, and once more align it with the fixed plate rail.

The operator now removes the riser portion of the cast and thereafter grasps the finished plate, with a glove, and withdraws it from beneath the arch, and on the fixed plate rails. Afterward it is removed from the machine. During this finishing operation the operator is presumed to have made another cast and got it ready to align with the finishing apparatus.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is- 1. In a curved stereotype plate finishing machine, the combination of a tool supporting shaft, a finishing arch axially aligned with said shaft, a shaving knife on said shaft, means for revolving the tool supp0rting shaft, a saw rotatable as a whole with said shaft for cutting off the tail of the plate, and a beveling tool located to follow in the path of the saw as the tool supporting shaft revolves.

2. In a curved stereotype plate finishing machine, the'combination of a plate sup porting arch, a tool supporting shaft located beneath said arch, a gear at one end of said shaft, a clutch mechanism, a plate lifting mechanism, and means on the gear for disengaging the clutch and simultaneously lowering the said plate lifter.

3. In a curved stereotype plate finishing machine, the combination of a tool supporting shaft, a plate supporting arch above said shaft, a gear on said shaft, a worm in mesh with said gear, a clutch arranged to engage or disengage the said worm, a plate lifter, and means for elevating the plate lifter and moving the clutch into engagement with said worm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto alfixed my signature.

CHARLES E. HOPKINS. 

